When you spend time and money to create the backyard of your dreams, you should be able to use it whenever you want. That’s when outdoor landscape lights come into play. With the help of the right landscape lighting designer, you can create the perfect “moonbeam” garden for your backyard.
But what exactly IS a moonbeam garden? Simply put, a moonbeam garden is any designated area in your yard that either mimics or helps reflect moon light. By using specific forms of outdoor illumination, you can create a space in your backyard (or front) that allows you to relax and enjoy all your hard work even after the sun has set.
Not all moonbeam gardens are designed the same way, which means yours can be as elaborate or as simple as you’d like. The best landscape lighting for such a garden is up to you and your designer, but here are some ideas to help you get started:
Up-lights: These are generally placed at ground level, so that the light reflects up. They’re an excellent way to mimic reflected moonlight in places with a lot of trees or shrubs, which normally absorb the illumination of the moon. A professional landscape lighting designer may use up-lights for gardens in wooded areas or along the siding of the home.
Moon Pulse Bulbs: Don’t be surprised if you haven’t heard of these: not many homeowners have. But if you want the best landscape lighting outdoors, ask a contractor about installing Moon Pulse bulbs. These bulbs are designed specifically to look like the moon light is being reflected off of the ground. They’re excellent additions to pool and patio landscape designs because they’re non-obtrusive.
Solar Lights: It might seem counter-productive to rely on the sun for your moonlighting landscape, but lighting that’s solar-based is renewable and plentiful. By harnessing solar power, you can illuminate your yard or moonbeam garden at night without any additional cost. A professional landscape lighting designer can accentuate the most beautiful parts of your garden to give it an ethereal, magical glow.
Outdoor Landscape Lights Add Ambiance
The best landscape lighting will allow you to enjoy your outdoor spaces at night. By installing outdoor landscape lights, you can utilize your space at any time. One of the great benefits of a moonbeam garden is that it provides calm, soothing place to relax after a long day at work. They’re relatively pest-free, since most insects rest when the temperature drops.
You can also create the ambiance you want with a moonlit oasis by your pool. Moonlight reflects off of water, but some nights the moon isn’t as visible as you’d like it to be. By utilizing outdoor landscape lights near the water, you can swim at any time of the evening and still be able to see where you’re going – both in the pool and out of it.
Another great reason to create a moonbeam garden revolves around temperature. As wonderful as a day in the sun can be, summers here can be oppressive – and that means that you might be dissuaded from enjoying your yard even in the middle of the day. Here’s where you can benefit from moonlighting. Landscaping lighting that illuminates your yard at night allows you to escape the heat of the day by creating a setting that’s best used at night. A landscape lighting designer can light up your entire yard for evening use.
The most important thing about moonbeam gardens, though, is their versatility. You can create a space as compact or as large as you’d like, and use outdoor landscape lighting to enhance natural structures and professionally designed hardscapes. So whether you’re a night owl or a swing-shift worker, a moonbeam garden can help you enjoy your yard at any time of day. Consult a landscape lighting designer to come up with a blueprint that works for you.